Latest news with #AlabamaA&MUniversity
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama's current, former top election officials clash over voter rolls
Voters at Alabama A&M University pass a voting sign after voting at Elmore Gym during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Huntsville, Ala. (Eric Schultz for Alabama Reflector) A simmering disagreement between Alabama's current and former top election officials has erupted into a public and personal feud between Secretary of State Wes Allen and his predecessor, John Merrill, with both trading accusations of dishonesty and misrepresentation. The dispute centers on the management of Alabama's voter rolls, Allen's withdrawal of the state from a multi-state voter data consortium and claims of success in cleaning voter lists, which Merrill contested. The exchange between the two Republicans escalated rapidly from policy disagreements to sharp personal attacks involving past scandals. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Merrill said in a phone interview Tuesday morning that there has not been any incident previously that would have violated the public's trust in a system historically used by a majority of states. 'They have actually used their campaign to promote Secretary Allen personally, because he was the only person that spoke about the initiative,' Merrill said. Merrill penned an opinion column on Sunday challenging statements Allen made in recent press releases and during congressional testimony about the state of Alabama's voter rolls when Allen took office. Merrill, who served two terms as Secretary of State from 2015 to 2023, accused Allen of mischaracterizing the state of the voter rolls he inherited and inflating his administration's accomplishments. 'Since taking office in 2023, Secretary Allen has repeatedly mischaracterized both my tenure and the work of the professionals in the Secretary of State's Office,' Merrill wrote in the opinion column. 'He has overstated his efforts in 'clearing up' the voter rolls, inflating numbers, and presenting a misleading picture of the state's voter rolls.' Merrill specifically took issue with Allen's claim that the state voter file was a 'bloated mess' and that Allen's new system, the Alabama Voter Integrity Database (AVID), allowed the removal of over half a million ineligible voters since taking office. AVID replaced Alabama's participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a data-sharing program used by dozens of states to identify voters who have moved or died. In the phone interview, he criticized Allen for an attempt last year to remove 3,200 voters from the rolls prior to the presidential election after alleging they were living in the country without authorization. A federal judge blocked Allen's action, saying it took place after a deadline to make election changes. 'After the actual investigation was conducted, it was determined that most of the people that had been ordered to be removed were actually US citizens and were here legally, and that was a major problem,' Merrill said. Allen provided a brief response Tuesday afternoon. 'I will never apologize for ensuring only United States citizens vote in Alabama elections,' Allen wrote. Merrill argued that the core components Allen touts as part of AVID – using data from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Postal Service's National Change of Address file, Social Security death data, and agreements with other states – were already in use during his administration, alongside ERIC. He said that AVID lacks a key feature of ERIC, including identifying potential instances of voters casting ballots in multiple states during the same election cycle. 'I agree with John Merrill,' said David Kimball, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who conducts research on election administration, in an email Tuesday afternoon, adding that ERIC allows a state to compare its voter file with those from every state that is part of the ERIC network, which is a majority of U.S. states. Merrill also challenged Allen's figures, saying that that official state data shows a net increase of nearly 67,000 registered voters since Allen took office, adding that the numbers dont reflect current voter registration data. Merrill said that to reach the current total after such removals, Allen's office would have had to register an average number of new voters far exceeding the yearly average achieved during Merrill's tenure. 'The math does not add up,' Merrill said. Allen's response dismissed Merrill's policy. 'Unfortunately, it is not surprising that a man whose time in office was marked by obscene sodomy scandals and repeated lies to the people that he was elected to serve, would not hesitate to press send on a false statement,' Allen stated in a response to questions from Yellowhammer News. Merrill in 2021 acknowledged to that he had an 'inappropriate relationship' with a woman who was not his wife. The revelation led Merrill to end a campaign for U.S. Senate. Allen, who plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2026, said 591,915 new voters registered since January 2023, slightly more than Merrill had estimated would be needed. He characterized Merrill's defense of ERIC as defending a 'liberal organization' and criticized Merrill's past meetings with figures like independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and officials in Russia and China during his time in office. Merrill Tuesday called Allen's response 'name-calling, innuendo, and personal attacks' that did not address points raised about voter roll management and AVID. Merrill framed past infidelity mentioned by Allen as an opportunity to speak about forgiveness and redemption, stating he had worked to restore relationships and forgiven Allen for the attacks. 'I have also been able to forgive Secretary Allen for his personal attacks on me, which included using derogatory names and condemning my past instead of offering the support a Christian brother should provide,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama A&M University receives new Carnegie classification
NORMAL, Ala. (WHNT) – Alabama A&M University has received a new recognition as a Research College and University, an achievement that reflects the school's commitment to research through the work of its faculty and students. The newly redesigned Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education were debuted in February. They were established as the framework for categorizing accredited, degree-granting institutions within the United States. The American Council on Education redesigned the Carnegie Classifications to display the depth and diversity of research across higher education. Madison man shows unique talent brick by brick with Lego collection The framework for 2025 includes three key research designs, according to the new Carnegie Classifications: Research 1 (R1) – Very High Spending and Doctorate Production, defined by a clear threshold of $50 million in total research spending and 70 research doctorates awarded annually. Research 2 (R2) – High Spending and Doctorate Production, which continues the previous requirement of $5 million in research spending and 20 research doctorates awarded annually. Research College and University (RCU) – Identifies research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity, including institutions that do not offer many or any doctoral degrees. The announcement made by ACE and the Carnegie Foundation said that 216 institutions were awarded RCU status in 2025. 'The 2025 Carnegie Classification's Research and University aims to highlight research activity at institutions that have historically been overlooked due to lower numbers of doctoral graduates,' said Dr. Majed Dweik, Vice President of Research & Economic Development. 'By setting a research expenditure threshold of at least $2.5 million annually, this classification ensures that universities like Alabama A&M receive well-deserved recognition for their contributions to research and development.' The university said that they are hopeful that the accreditation will attract students and researchers while also enhancing AAMU's global research reputation. AAMU said they are actively working toward an R2 designation. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'This new distinction spotlights our University's emphasis on impact and discovery through diverse research activity. Thanks to the ongoing work of our faculty and staff to expand research across the institution, we are well-positioned in our efforts to reach R2 classification in the near future,' said President Daniel K. Wims. AAMU has several notable programs, such as their Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Engineering and Computer Science, Education and Healthcare and Business and Public Afairs programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
23-03-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Physicist Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green Uses Nonprofit to Raise Funds for Cancer-Killing Technology
In 2003, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green graduated with a B.S. in Physics from Alabama A&M University with a plan to revolutionize the way consumers receive cable TV and internet. She had diligently prepared herself for her future career in fiber optics and optical communication, and she was excited to finally be on her way. The day after graduation, Dr. Green's aunt, who had raised her along with her two older brothers, disclosed that she had cancer. 'She told us she had 'woman's cancer,' which usually means cervical or ovarian cancer, and was only given three months to live,' Dr. Green recalled. 'She also said she'd rather die than experience the side effects of chemo or radiation treatments.' As Dr. Green nursed her aunt through the ravages of the disease, she remembers thinking, 'We have satellites in outer space that can tell whether a dime on the ground is face up or face down, but we can't treat a tumor just at the site of the tumor? That doesn't make sense.' Three months after her aunt died, Dr. Green's uncle, her late aunt's husband, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given up to six months to live. Dr. Green was the primary caregiver for her uncle while he received the conventional treatments of radiation and chemo. Although with treatment, Dr. Green's help, and God's grace, her uncle lived 10 years past his original prognosis, Dr. Green saw his body bear the brunt of the treatment's brutal side effects. 'I watched him wither down to nothing after losing 150 pounds,' Dr. Green said. 'He lost all of his hair on his head, his eyebrows, and his eyelashes, and his skin looked like it had been barbequed.' Seeing her aunt and uncle suffer at the hands of cancer and cancer treatments inspired Dr. Green to dedicate her life to developing innovative and more humane ways to attack and destroy cancer. In 2005, she enrolled in the physics Ph.D. program at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) to develop this inspired cancer treatment using lasers and nanotechnology. A cure without sufferingCancer has impacted most of us. While cancer that is detected early has a high cure rate, nearly 10 million people still die from cancer each year worldwide. Even with the best care, any of us – our family, friends, or colleagues – can be subjected to ineffective treatments, harsh side effects, lengthy treatment durations, prohibitive costs, and limited accessibility. Now, there's a better way! Dr. Green developed a novel cancer-killing technology, Laser-Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), that is of high clinical relevance in the field of oncology. LANT directly addresses the urgent yet unmet global need for more effective treatment options for millions of people with difficult-to-treat cancers. LANT is designed as a minimally invasive, curative treatment for solid tumors that induces site-specific (not cell type-specific) cellular death and tumor regression precisely at the site of laser activation. The peer-reviewed, preclinical in vivo LANT data showed complete tumor regression with clear tumor margins and healed skin in just 15 days after a single, 10-minute treatment without surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or observed side effects. Because its mechanism of action is based on physics instead of biology, LANT is a platform therapy designed to have clinical indications for a variety of difficult-to-treat solid tumors, such as brain, pancreatic, breast, prostate, and head and neck cancers. Dr. Green founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, a cancer nonprofit, to keep the technology she developed affordable for all. The Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation is on a mission to change the way cancer is treated and reduce cancer patient suffering by providing a treatment that is accessible, affordable and effective. Limited by funding, not technological advancements, the Ora Lee Foundation is ready to move LANT beyond the laboratory and into humans with tax-deductible donations. When you support the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, your donations will help ensure Dr. Green's research comes to life by helping to fund human clinical trials, taking this tech from the lab to the living. The future of cancer researchDr. Green acknowledges that none of us are islands; we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. As such, she pays it forward by creating opportunities in her research laboratory and nonprofit for women and students in STEM to grow their research and personal skills. She also advises her mentees and trainees on educational, career, and life strategies. 'My advice to young women interested in pursuing research careers would be to excel in your coursework and obtain summer and work-study research experiences to help confirm or narrow your scientific interests,' Dr. Green said. 'Put your best into everything that you do, so that when opportunities come, you will be prepared. Everyone has a divine purpose for being on the planet. Channel your joy or pain and the things that make you happy or angry, into your purpose or to help you identify your purpose.' Dr. Green says, 'I turned my pain into passion and used the loss of my loved ones to cancer to develop new ways to fight cancer. I also channeled the skills I built as the president of different organizations in college into my position as the founder of my nonprofit.' If you haven't found your purpose, Dr. Green recommends supporting something or someone you believe in, and by dedicating time and effort to something bigger than yourself, you will gain experience and skills that may be the investment needed to achieve your own success. Explore Your Future in Healthcare – Learn More Now
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Study: Racial voter turnout gap in Alabama in 2024 was highest in two decades
Voters at Alabama A&M University pass a voting sign after voting at Elmore Gym during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama. A report from the Brennan Center found that the racial voting gap between whites, Black and nonwhites in Alabama widened to its largest level in 20 years. (Eric Schultz for Alabama Reflector) A new study found that voter turnout gaps between white and nonwhite Alabamians hit a two-decade high in 2024. The Brennan Center for Justice, a liberal nonprofit law and public policy institute based in New York, found that turnout among eligible white voters was 65% last year. Among nonwhites, the turnout was 51%. Those two figures respectively are the highest they have been for the past two decades. In 2008 when former President Barack Obama was first on the ballot, about 60% of Black Alabamians eligible to vote cast ballots, compared to 59% of whites. Nonwhites overall had a turnout of about 56%. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But white turnout in the state has increased since then, peaking at 66% in 2020 before falling back to 65% last year. Black turnout fell to 50% in 2016; bounced back to 58% in 2020 but fell to 51% last year. 'We know that gap has grown, and in 2024, it has taken an almost turbo level increase in its scope,' said Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Washington, DC, office for the Brennan Center. 'It is a very disturbing trend, particularly when we see the level of diversity in this country is far greater than it has been.' The study did not delve deeply into some of the causes, but cited more restrictive voting policies that mostly Republican-led states have imposed since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County vs. Holder that invalidated Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The law sought to end discriminatory practices in many parts of the South that prevented minorities, but especially Blacks, from voting. Section 5 of the law required states with histories of voter disenfranchisement to submit any changes to voting laws to the U.S. Department of Justice for approval. The court struck down preclearance in Shelby County v. Holder, a 2013 decision out of Shelby County just south of Birmingham. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the 'country had changed.' 'We can't say for certain what caused the white–Black turnout gap to widen in Alabama, but the surge in restrictive voting laws since the Shelby County v. Holder decision has likely played a role in depressing turnout among Black voters,' the study states. 'Our research shows that a decade after the ruling gutted the Voting Rights Act, these gaps are growing everywhere, but they are widening especially quickly in places like Alabama that were subject to the 'preclearance condition' that was suspended in Shelby County.' Richard Fording, a professor in the political science department at the University of Alabama, agreed in an interview that voting restrictions could contribute to the gap but that other factors could be at play, including the enthusiasm Obama sparked among Black voters. 'The years 2008 and 2012 were years where we saw unusually high turnout among Black voters, compared to previous years,' he said in an email following an interview. 'The other development that is specific to Alabama is that the state has undergone a significant shift in the balance of partisan control since 2010.' Both Fording and Crayton also said that the lack of competitive elections contributes to the gap and low voter turnout in the state. 'Nobody wants to go to a game where the outcome is already (known), that is the real concern,' Crayton said. In the 2nd Congressional District, the Black eligible population was almost 50%, which gave Democrats the chance to pick up another seat. 'It is not just gerrymandering, it is policies that make it less likely to be able to obtain an ID, to be able to cast a ballot,' Crayton said. 'It is the limited opportunities people have to register; it is the purges. All these things work in a cumulative way that would drag down turnout for voters who may want to participate, but who find the hurdles are too advanced.' The net effect is that the electorate only represents a portion of the total possible number of voters. 'You need to have all people voting in order for democracy to work,' said Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama. 'It is so important to hear everyone's voice.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Decatur graduate among Alabama A&M scholarship recipients
Mar. 12—Tyana Swan was one of 19 Decatur and Austin high school students offered presidential scholarships to attend Alabama A&M University in the fall. Alabama A&M President Daniel Wims recently took a 26-stop bus tour to award more than $22 million in scholarships to talented students in the state. Swan, a senior at Decatur High School, was offered a $20,000 tuition scholarship and decided to take the university up on the offer. "I was supper happy and overwhelmed," she said upon learning of the scholarship. Other scholarship recipients from Decatur High School include Vega Zaman, Chelsey Pearson and Taylor Atkins (a 2024 graduate). Recipients from Austin High School include Jordan Brown, Taylor Chatman, Jordan Davis, Taylor Duncan-Padgett, Ryliee Elliott, Jayla Ford, Amiya Griffin, Richard Williams, Jaedyn Johnson, Alexis Jordan, Kenneth Joshua, Molly McMahan, Kimora Owens, Zaniyah Williams and Ashari Willis. (Not all these students will attend A&M.) Anita Clarke, secondary curriculum supervisor for Decatur City Schools, said A&M offered $375,000 in scholarships in the amounts of $16,000, $20,000 and $34,000. The scholarship is divided over four years, she said. "This gives them the opportunity to further their dreams and aspirations, and for a local college to support our babies in this way is an absolute blessing," Clarke said. Swan did not apply for the A&M scholarship, she was chosen. Applicants must have a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, according to A&M. They must have an ACT score of at least 28 or an SAT score of 1310 or above. As she finishes out her high school career, she will be staying on the A&M campus this fall beginning in September. She plans to study computer science, but she is unsure of the career path she will pursue. "I know I want to work with computers and work alongside more people who also share a common interest in computer science," she said. Swan has known other successes during her high school career including being named Decatur High homecoming queen. She is also vice president of the student council and a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Social Studies Honor Society. She is part of the track and field team, where she likes to run the 200-meter dash and compete in the long jump. She is also part of the girls 4 by 400 relay team, which took second place in a meet Saturday at James Clemens High School, she said. She is proud of her community service work through her high school sorority, Alpha Beta Omega. "We do a lot of community service," she said. This year they gathered up some 20 prom dresses for a prom-dress drive for those in need. About the A&M scholarship, she said, "I'm very blessed and very thankful and appreciative to A&M for offering me a scholarship, and I'm very excited." The A&M presidential scholarship is renewable for up to eight semesters. It covers the cost of tuition, room, board and fees. It also includes a $1,000 book allowance per semester. To renew, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50. They must also complete a minimum of 30 credit hours per academic year. The president's bus tour to deliver scholarships ran Feb. 24 through Sunday. — or 256-340-2361
